Just The Beginning. . .but A Circa-WW2 Australian Stamp Booklet W/ "Specimens"?

I'm trying to piece together some family history and also find out if I may have some hidden gems to keep within our "family heirlooms". I'm fairly certain my great-great uncle brought these back when he returned to the US several years after WW2, but I could be mistaken. Maybe these stamps aren't that old, I'm not sure...But anyone want to share some knowledge/history/something about these if you are familiar at all?

These are not the best photos. . .I can definitely post more if anyone is interested to see anything or can help me out on the history. I'd like to continue sharing more stamps as I sort through them as well. I am not interested in selling any, in the event anyone is ever curious. These are family items that I'm just trying to document and preserve.

Nice find!

First of all, remove the blue 10 kopek Russia stamp as it doesn't belong.

I can see the 5/- & 10/- robes issues but if you could tidy the stamps up, all face up and in the slots as best as you can (I can see one slot is mostly missing), with a good photo so I can see the OS punctured stamps and I'll have a good opportunity to date this for you.

These specimen sets were first issued in 1932 but yours is a little later, I'd say circa 1938.

Once all the stamps are visible I might be able to confirm that they're all there as issued.

Thank you for that info! I removed the 10 kopek stamp, and I'll refrain from comparing the value to the ruble haha.

Here are some better pictures, I tried to arrange them out (very delicately) where they can be seen better. Some are still slightly overlapping or unable to be viewed completely but I can get closeups of any if you'd like! I'd love to know more about the "Specimen", "SO" marking, and "SO" perforations if you don't mind sharing?






I also found some US stamps:

Thanks for that.

The Queensland adhesive duty stamp doesn't belong.

You have a mish mash of various specimen folders; there were various sets issued in the 1930s & 1940s.

The 10/- robes would need to get a certificate, as would the OS Kingsford Smith pair.

Could we see a better photo of the 5/- Harbour Bridge stamp please?

OS stands for On Service, and were issued to Government departments.

There is increasing demand for the CTO stamps of Australia, but I'd rehouse the ones you have but keep the folder, even though there's a little bit of damage.

I don't see it Bobby, first thing I looked for.

I also found a receipt from a tailor shop in Brisbane from 1943 that belonged to the same great-great uncle, so there is the possibility that he picked up the stamp book closer to that time period. Unfortunately, neither the business nor the address seem to still exist. Whatever my great-great uncle did/didn't do in WW2 was never discussed in the family, but based on the tailor's receipt alone it places him in the Pacific during the war and I also have a number of Philippine bank notes printed by the Bank of Japan in both pesos and centavos, plus a bit of other assorted currency he either sent home to family or brought back with him. I really wanted to find one of the US forgeries of the centavos stamped with propaganda but no such luck. I still need to check their markings and determine if any are "discrete" forgeries.

May I ask what you were looking for that was of importance? I will get photo's up of it tomorrow, everything is safely packed away again at the moment. I appreciate the advice on storage, I'll definitely be getting something more appropriate for storing them. Does the OS specifically refer to Australian government employees or were they issued more broadly to Allied personnel? I don't believe anyone in the family was even aware that he was in the military, but I know that he wasn't press and it seems like a pretty big stretch to imagine a guy from Guthrie, OK, ending up in Brisbane during WW2 without some type of affiliation. I also just learned that one of my grandfather's was in the Army though, it seems like I'm finding just as many (or more...) questions than answers haha.

Rod, it's in the first scan, last stamp of the second row.


WylieCoyote, the OS stamps were issued to Federal Government departments, but not to Military personnel. Knowing when stamps were issued helps to date the overall set. Certain stamps feature in more sets than others, because they were in circulation for longer periods of time. The 1943 date would fit rather well. These old Specimen folders are rarely found intact with the original stamps. The 1932 set brings a low four figure sum.

Gotcha! I took that as a 3d Blue.
Thanks.

I'm sorry, things got busy today and I was unable to post anything further. Could you please tell me what you mean about needing certificates on some of the stamps? Is that a reference to essentially have them authenticated and graded? I would assume they were of some historical significance/value?

I would also like to "rehouse" these properly, but could I get any expert recommendations on what I should use lol? I am totally new to stamp collecting but I find it fascinating, and I'm excited to learn more. I was actually thinking that I would go ahead and order 2 stamp protectors, one for family items and one for a personal collection. I'm just going to go ahead and assume this hobby is expensive, but "only as expensive as you make it", and that means I'm up a creek hahaha.

Would anyone by chance have any recommendations on a forum that is good for numismatics? Also another thing that has always intrigued me, and I'll be encountering envelopes full of money as I dig deeper and reach more stamps (many of which will likely have been used/marked/cut from an envelope, so probably just maybe interesting at least?). To be clear, all that money I pass through is essentially monopoly money from Japan lol. Honestly, much cooler in my opinion. . .

Thank you Bobby. I at least can put some documentation with them now to document something about their origin and the circumstances of how they came into the family, that's the main importance to me. I appreciate it. I'll find all the other period stamps I have and get some pictures posted of them this weekend to see if any have a cool story.

For rehousing, my personal preference is hagner/vario style sheets. If you go down this road make sure you get a binder and slipcase.

I'm not a coin collector but isn't there a coin forum here? I've never looked!

Yes, certificates of genuineness are important for those Kingsford Smith OS overprints, which have been extensively forged. A flat scan of all the OS stamps will help, so please post when you can, and we might save you some money!! My gut says they're genuine though, but that's not a guarantee of course.

The other stamp that looks nice from the photos is the 6d kookaburra (1st pic, 2nd stamp from the left). It is usually poorly centered so a close up of that one could be some nice eye candy.

Our sister forum is very good
https://www.coincommunity.com/forum/

Don

... and a closeup of the 5/- Bridge (5 shilling Sydney Harbour Bridge)

There's a minimum of a $500 stamp.

Thank you all for all of the helpful information! I would be happy to get some actual scans of the stamps requested to post, My wifi printer/scanner hasn't been cooperative at all lately, I'm going to either get it working tonight or go buy a dedicated scanner tomorrow.

As far as authenticity is concerned, unless those stamps were forged in the same period in which they were issued, I have every reason to believe they would be authentic. This collection of family items is essentially all from my great-great uncle Kenneth that I confirmed was in the Navy during WW2. When he passed, my great grandmother received them, from her they went to my great aunt, and then I ended up with them. I think each person who has had them has essentially just glanced through the different items and essentially thought "oh that's kinda neat". I'm a history geek though so this is all really fascinating to me.

And I have every reason to believe you are right. Like I said, my gut says they're genuine.

Nothing wrong with being a history geek. There's a few of us here